Sup Nerdians? WHAT TIME IS IT? ADVENTURE TI- No, it's NEW STORY TIME! This first chapter is more of an introduction, also the AU stuff is in the description, if you didn't read that read it now! And may I say now, the italics at the beginning of each chapter before the chapter number is one of the character talking. Shall we begin?
How long did it take for the world to crumble?
About five minutes.
Yeah, that sounds pretty accurate.
Chapter One
-Sky
Bang. Bang. Bang. Continue on for seven hours. Bang. Bang. I have a headache, can I stop? No? Why? Please, I'm exhausted! Oh god please stop no I don't want this no I didn't mean it no no NO NO NO-
I sat up in in my bed quickly, automatically trying to slow my breath and heartbeat so I didn't wake up Jason. He rolled over in his bed but didn't stir, and I gave a quiet sigh. My back still ached from the whip and from the constant hunched over form I had to make while I mined. I laid back down on my bed, or what passed for a bed here. A wiry metal shelf with a pile of wheat stuffed into a sack for a pillow. No blanket, no cushion, nothing. I didn't bother trying to go back to sleep, because judging by the slight rays of sunlight passing through the bars it was nearly-
"Alright, get up!" The warden's voice boomed through hall, echoing harshly of the metal and cobble of it all. Jason sat up quickly, rubbing his face.
"Already?" he murmured, and I nodded, sitting up once more and stretching out.
"Food'll be here in a sec," I muttered, and with that a mouldy half-loaf of bread was chucked through the bars. I didn't make eye contact with the demon that passed the cell as he reached into the bucket and chucked a loaf in the cell next to ours. I banged on the hollow cobble wall that separated the cells and jumped off my bed, walking over to the loaf and splitting it, throwing a half at Jason's head. He caught it and ripped into it hungrily.
"Oi! Jerome! Mitch! Wake up!" I hollered, banging on the wall again.
"Piss off!" Mitch yelled back sleepily, and I chuckled drily.
"He'll whack you with his stick again if you don't get your ass outta bed!" I yelled back. I heard a muffled curse from Mitch as he got up and I crossed over to the other wall, Jason's side. Ian and Quinton had that room. I listened and heard the familiar scuffle as they got up. Satisfied, I walked to my bed and sat down, gnawing hard on my bread.
"How long do you think it'll be today?" Jason asked, rubbing his face and looking with sadness at his empty hand.
"I reckon eight hours. I heard Bash found a vein of diamond, we'll be working on that all day, I swear," I said, and Jason sighed.
"Isn't that all the way down by that new ravine? I do not wanna go down in prime mob territory," Jason complained, and I shrugged.
"They would've set up all the torches by now. Didn't you hear 'em last night?" I asked, and Jason shook his head.
"I was out like a light. They worked us hard yesterday, I didn't wanna waste any sleep," Jason explained, and I stood up, and we stood beside each other in front of the bars. I waved to Dakota and Seto, who had the cell across from us. Dakota waved back and I saw the bags under his eyes. The Frog looked ready to drop. Seto absently scratched at his wrists, which were donned by heavy metal cuffs. They stopped him using magic, and he hated them. They drove him crazy, he was constantly scratching away. The demon came back and unlocked all of the cell doors.
"You know the drill! Two lines, with your cell mate, make a ruckus and it's an hour with the stick!" he yelled, and Jason and I ducked our heads down as we joined the line. We were given our picks at the door and then directed down the stairs into the mines. As I suspected, we were all taken to the diamond vein. I saw Bash and Bodil standing side by side and already working at it.
"Hey! Thanks a lot, watermelon! You got us extra work!" Ian yelled as he readied his pick and then struck down. I resented our pickaxes. First strike meant the beginning of hours of painful work.
"Well, sorry for doing my job!" Bash yelled back, his high-pitched voice making him extremely unconvincing. Bodil giggled, and I couldn't help but smirk. That laugh…
"Bang," I said, and Jason rolled his eyes.
"Bang," he replied.
"Bang, Bang," I said, in time with my pick hitting. Soon we had everyone going in our usually routine: getting in time with our hits but yelling bang in unison and then hitting all at the same time. It was fun until the guard on duty screeched at us. I sighed, my back already aching and the mine cart behind me full of diamonds.
"It's gonna be a long day," I muttered, and Jason nodded, pausing briefly to wipe the sweat from his brow before quickly resuming. He didn't want to risk punishment. I hated those demons that guarded us and forced us to work. Long story short: We opened a portal to the End and all these Ender Dragon hybrids came flooding out. They burned cities, destroyed crops, killed innocents and slaughtered at will. We were captured and put to work. Two years of slavery. I hated them with a passion unmatched by anyone in the prison. Fricking bastards. I heard a yell and we all turned. Ian had struck gold: he'd found a separate line off with his part.
"Oi! Back to work!" The guard roared, and we all quickly spun around and kept smashing the diamond. I looked over at Jason and was slightly shocked by his appearance. His face was ashen and grey and he looked like he was going to collapse.
"You right, buddy?" I asked out the corner of my mouth, and he nodded quickly, wiping his face again and lingering too long by a second.
"Back to work!" the guard said angrily, and lashed out. The whip cracked and Jason's knees wobbled. He grit his teeth and he tried to stop himself from crying out as he went back to mining. As soon as the guard had left our part of the tunnel Jason dropped and he gasped in pain, a slight sob in his voice. I knelt beside him.
"C'mon, let me look," I said with a sigh. I grabbed the hem of his ratty shirt and lifted it up, studying him back. The skin was already raw and bruised but a new, long red stripe donned his back right down the middle. "It's not to bad, Jase. We'll get something for it after our shift." Jason nodded wearily, standing up and wincing, tears still in his eyes. It wasn't fair. Jason was still just a kid, he couldn't put up with this. The guard came back and we resumed our process.
So, you excited? No? Okay! And yes, I'm aware Seto's real name is Harvey but he's going to remain Seto. Some people will have their real names, others not. Next chapter up soon!